These days, most everybody accepts that a website is a necessary asset for a business. It is the face of your brand online and it gives your consumers another outlet to interact with your company. But many businesses are wondering how much time, effort, and money should actually be put into creating and managing a website. Unfortunately, that’s the wrong question.
Your website isn’t an object, it’s a tool to accomplish a goal. So when evaluating how much to put into it, the best place to start is with what you want to get out of it.
- What are the goals you want to accomplish for your business?
- What role can the web play in reaching those goals?
Once you’ve identified your clear, results-driven objectives, you can answer big-picture website budgeting and investment questions such as How much are those desired outcomes worth to you? and What are you willing and able to invest to get there? much easier.
Here are six very good reasons to invest in your website, along with some suggested projects to help you reach those goals.
1. Brand Building
A website is an extension of your company and your brand. In the age of digital discovery, it is also very often the gateway to your brand and the very first place people learn about who you are and what you do.
When customers have needs, they assess their options and evaluate the choices available to them. The web is a key component of this research and evaluation process. The layout, colors, features, technologies, and content you use on your website will reflect your company’s face to the customer. A poorly designed or broken website can give off the wrong impression. With a well-designed, current-looking website, customers will have more trust in your business and they will value your brand higher.
Projects to Invest In:
2. Improving Usability
Keep in mind that you’re not the only one in this equation with goals. Your website users have come there for a reason. Whatever that may be, it is vitally important that your website allows them to complete the task successfully. Common reasons people use websites are to learn information, share information, buy something, and to be entertained.
If your site already has usable features, it’s important to keep them running smoothly. One broken link could cost you an entire lifetime value of a customer lost. If your site doesn’t have any usable features, you risk boring your audience and missing out on conversions.
Usability problems like broken links, disorganized navigation, slow load times, non-working forms, and errors are a liability to your business.
Projects to Invest In:
3. Paving the Path to Conversion
Purchasing and lead generation should be the easiest tasks for your customers to complete on your website. If your site isn’t optimized to the fullest extent to maximize conversions, you’re missing out on revenue. Period. You should invest in your purchase/conversion path to make certain your customers have the best experience when using your site.
Reduce clicks and remove barriers. Draw attention to your calls-to-action. Provide incentives and up-sell. Use smart content to prime users to say “Yes” to that crucial last step. Remember how hard you had to work to get those visitors onto your site in the first place. Don’t let them walk away empty-handed!
Projects to Invest In:
4. Information Station
Flashy graphics and clever headlines might catch the eye, but content draws them in. Even if a website is functional and looks flawless, if it fails to provide substance it will send visitors sailing right on to the next competitor. Great content will keep them around long enough to convert, or at least to receive your message and form a lasting, positive impression of your brand.
Keep in mind that communication in a two-way street. Your website can also create an avenue for consumers to interact with your brand. You can use your website for customer surveys, to see how they rate the products or services you are offering, and to answer any questions they may have. From there, you will have better customer care, bring more personal values to your brand, and keep customers loyal to you.
Projects to Invest In:
5. Attracting potential customers
A website (including interfaces and interactions), plus online marketing methods such as SEO, Google AdWords, and banner ads, will attract potential customers to the business. This takes investment, and a website that looks as though it has been ignored can actually deter potential customers because it can give off the impression that you may not be in business anymore or that you don’t care about your business or your customers.
Projects to Invest In:
6. Analyzing customer behavior
Websites can help you analyze the psychology of customer behavior through the monitoring procedure. You can know what service customers are interested in, which products are ‘hot’, what color will cause a good impression, and which message pleases them. Without your website augmented for the greatest information gathering abilities, you will not have all of the knowledge you are able to gain simply from having a website.
Projects to Invest In:
- Business Strategy
- Marketing Strategy
- Reporting & Analytics
If you have any questions, we would be more than happy to help! Contact Blayzer!